A study has identified, for the first time, non-invasive biomarkers able to detect early stages of hepatic steatosis — also known as fatty liver — in children and adolescents who acquired the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) at birth. The study, published in Communications Medicine, was coordinated by researchers from the CIBER area of Infectious Diseases (CIBERINFEC) at the Joan XXIII University Hospital of Tarragona – Pere Virgili Health Research Institute (IISPV), and the La Paz University Hospital. The team also included members from Rovira i Virgili University (URV), the La Paz Research Institute (IdiPAZ), and the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM). This work represents an important step forward in improving the diagnosis of a complication that affects around 30% of this pediatric population.
De izqda. a dcha.: Talía Talía Sainz, Anna Rull y Silvia Chafino.
Hepatic steatosis is common in people living with HIV, and its prevalence among children and young people is also close to 30%. However, non-invasive diagnostic methods used in adults do not work properly in pediatric patients. “Until now, we lacked reliable tools to detect fatty liver in young people with HIV without using invasive techniques. It was essential to find specific biomarkers that could identify the disease in its earliest stages,” explained Anna Rull and Talía Sainz, CIBERINFEC researchers from Joan XXIII University Hospital – IISPV and La Paz Hospital, who led the study.
This study used advanced metabolomic techniques to analyze blood and stool samples from 29 participants, examining circulating fats, bile acids, and intestinal bacteria. This approach allowed the detection of very precise metabolic changes that may indicate liver damage even before symptoms appear.
Among all the molecules studied, two types of triglycerides (TG54:5 and TG56:7) and the bile acid UDCA stood out for their ability to distinguish young people with hepatic steatosis from those without the disease. “The combination of triglyceride TG56:7 and bile acid UDCA greatly improved the ability to separate the two groups,” said Silvia Chafino, CIBERINFEC researcher and first author of the study.
The study also showed that total triglycerides, usually used in adults to evaluate liver function, did not show significant differences between groups in this pediatric cohort. This highlights the importance of exploring specific triglycerides.
The intestinal microbiota was also examined, given its role in transforming bile acids. Although no differences were found between groups, positive correlations were observed between UDCA and the bacterium Collinsella, known to produce this bile acid. This may explain the trends observed, according to the research team.
Finally, the integrated analysis of bile acid profiles identified a subgroup within the control population that showed a pattern similar to children with hepatic steatosis. The researchers emphasized that these results “suggest that early changes in bile acid levels may reflect an initial pathological state, even before clear clinical signs appear. This underlines their promising role in predicting hepatic steatosis, although their possible clinical use should be explored in more detail.”
Article reference: Chafino S, Tarancon-Diez L, Hurtado-Gallego J, Flores-Piñas M, Alcolea S, Olveira A, et al. Metabolomics for searching non-invasive biomarkers of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease in youth with vertical HIV. Commun Med. 2025;5:433.
A study led by the Universitat Rovira i Virgili has followed more than one thousand individuals with overweight or obesity and other metabolic indicators, such as hypertension or elevated glucose and cholesterol levels, over a six-year period.
Sarcopenic obesity—defined as the combination of excess body fat with low muscle mass and strength—is a risk factor for cognitive decline in older adults. This is the conclusion of a longitudinal study conducted by researchers from the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV) and the CatSud Biomedical Research Institute, in collaboration with other groups from the Biomedical Research Networking Centre (CIBER).
The investigation monitored 1,097 participants aged between 55 and 75 years who presented overweight or obesity and metabolic syndrome—a cluster of risk factors for heart disease and diabetes, including hypertension, high cholesterol, or elevated blood glucose. The research team examined whether individuals with sarcopenic obesity at baseline were more likely to experience deterioration in different domains of cognitive function, assessed periodically through standardized neuropsychological tests.
The Combination of Sarcopenia and Obesity: A Key Driver of Cognitive Decline
The findings reveal that participants with sarcopenic obesity experienced a greater decline in overall cognitive function after six years and showed an increased risk of subtle cognitive impairment, an early stage preceding mild cognitive impairment. By contrast, neither obesity alone nor isolated sarcopenia were associated with poorer cognitive performance, suggesting that the combination of both conditions may be responsible for a more detrimental impact on brain health.
“Ageing with an unfavourable body composition may have deeper implications than we previously thought,” explains Héctor Vázquez-Lorente, researcher at the URV Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology and first author of the study. “Our data show that sarcopenic obesity can accelerate cognitive decline even before clinical symptoms appear,” he adds.
According to Jordi Salas-Salvadó, Professor of Nutrition at URV, ICREA Academia researcher, and senior author of the article, these results highlight the importance of early detection: “Identifying sarcopenic obesity in older adults could be crucial for anticipating cognitive trajectories and enabling early interventions that help prevent future cases of dementia.”
Public Health Implications
Sarcopenic obesity is particularly relevant in contexts with ageing populations, high levels of sedentary behaviour, and a growing prevalence of obesity. Detecting it in clinical practice could facilitate more effective interventions during the initial stages of cognitive decline: “Understanding how body composition influences brain health is essential for designing strategies to slow down age-related decline,” notes Salas-Salvadó. Furthermore, he stresses that the findings “reinforce the need to promote a healthy lifestyle that combines physical activity, balanced nutrition, and control of excess body fat to curb the rise of sarcopenic obesity.”
Reference: Vázquez-Lorente H, Paz-Graniel I, Margara-Escudero HJ, Martínez-González MÁ, Romaguera D, Urbistondo DM, Estruch R, Sánchez VM, Vidal J, Fitó M, Goñi N, Chaplin A, Zulet MA, Sacanella E, de Paz Fernández JA, Altés A, García-Gavilán JF, Konieczna J, Martínez JA, Salas-Salvadó J. Sarcopenic Obesity and Longitudinal Trajectories on Cognitive Performance and Subtle Cognitive Impairment Over 6 Years in Older Adults. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. 2025 Dec;16(6):e70158. doi: 10.1002/jcsm.70158. PMID: 41361860.
The Infection and Immunity Research Group (INIM) of IISPV has participated in a project awarded in the 2025 Health Research Call of “La Caixa” Foundation. The project belongs to the area of infectious diseases and focuses on the study of HIV virological control. It is coordinated by Dr. Ezequiel Ruiz-Mateos from IBiS (Seville) and involves four research groups in total, which have received a grant of €999,952.40.
The award ceremony took place on November 20 at CosmoCaixa in Barcelona, where Anna Rull attended as Principal Investigator of the INIM group at IISPV. The group also highlighted the participation of the Infectious Diseases Unit of Hospital Joan XXIII.
Researcher Noelia Ramírez from IISPV took part on November 28 in the Eurecat Reus symposium on epigenetic and metabolic interactions
The researcher from the Pere Virgili Health Research Institute (IISPV), Noelia Ramírez, participated in the 3rd Eurecat Symposium on Epigenetic and Metabolic Interactions, held on November 28 at Eurecat’s headquarters in Reus. Her presentation was part of a talk entitled “Advancing Precision Environmental Health: From comprehensive exposure characterisation to metabolic and epigenetic markers of effect.”
In her conclusions, she explained that environmental exposures are dynamic, come from multiple sources, and are biologically complex. “To address their impact on health, we need integrated and high-resolution approaches that combine chemistry, biology, and data science,” Ramírez said.
She added that the paradigm of Precision Environmental Health integrates “a detailed characterisation of exposure with the evaluation of effects through omics sciences, in order to reveal how specific environmental mixtures influence molecular pathways, identify early biomarkers of susceptibility, and guide more effective prevention strategies.”
An escape room, medical tests and cardiopulmonary resuscitation workshops made the work of IISPV visible. The Servei d’Emergències Mèdiques Generalitat, Ajuntament de Tarragona and the Markets of Tarragona joined the initiative held in the city centre.
Around 450 people took part this Saturday, 22 November, in the city centre of Tarragona in the event ‘La recerca en salut surt al carrer’, organised by Institut d’Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV) as part of its 20th anniversary. Throughout the morning, dozens of people participated continuously in the activities, which were open to everyone. The main goal was to bring citizens closer to the work carried out by the Institute in the region.
Plaça Corsini and the Mercat Central became a large laboratory and a space for scientific outreach, where activities —an escape room, medical tests and resuscitation workshops with a visit to an ambulance— attracted people of all ages.
The escape room ‘Investigate and… help us!’ caught the attention of about 70 people. The medical tests ‘Here we take care of you!’, located inside the Market, worked without interruption, serving up to 100 people. Participants underwent early screenings for diabetes and prediabetes, blood pressure measurements to assess cardiovascular risk, and body composition analysis tests.
As for the cardiopulmonary resuscitation workshops ‘Get motivated and resuscitate!’, they involved professionals from IISPV and the Servei d’Emergències Mèdiques (SEM) of the Generalitat, who carried out simulations with mannequins in the square, teaching how to identify a cardiac arrest and perform intervention manoeuvres. In addition, citizens had the chance to see an SEM ambulance up close, which was displayed in the same square. Around 280 people took part in this activity.
The organisation of the event was supported by the SEM of Generalitat, the Ajuntament de Tarragona and the Mercats de Tarragona.
These microorganisms are essential for the product to meet the international definition of kefir established by WHO and FAO.
Around 80% of the products labelled as “kefir” in Spain do not provide information about the presence of yeasts. These microorganisms are necessary for the product to meet the international definition of kefir set by the Codex Alimentarius, prepared jointly by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). This is the conclusion of a study led by a research team from the Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology of the Universitat Rovira i Virgili and the Pere Virgili Health Research Institute (IISPV), presented at the latest congress of the Spanish Federation of Nutrition, Food and Dietetic Societies.
Kefir is a fermented dairy food that differs from other similar products, such as yogurt, because of its mixed fermentation, which is the result of the combined action of lactic acid bacteria, acetic acid bacteria and yeasts. In the study, carried out in the summer of 2025, products labelled as “kefir” were analysed in the main supermarkets of the country, selected according to the market share report of Kantar Worldpanel, which includes national and regional chains and covers more than 56.7% of the market. The labelling of 170 drinkable and spoonable kefirs was evaluated, paying special attention to the explicit declaration of yeasts.
The results showed a great variability in the information provided by manufacturers, which, according to the research team, may cause confusion among consumers and make it difficult to correctly identify the product according to international standards. “In many cases, the name ‘kefir’ is used as a commercial claim, even though the products do not meet the international definition, which requires the presence of yeasts,” explain Lucía Iglesias-Vázquez and Nadine Khoury, researchers of the study.
The authors warn that the current European regulation on food information does not require declaring the presence of microorganisms on food labels. Moreover, in some fermented dairy products it even allows the omission of the list of ingredients, which may reduce transparency and contribute to the trivialisation of a food like kefir, which offers many health benefits.
Faced with this situation, the research team suggests that the industry should adopt clearer and more consistent labelling practices, such as explicitly indicating the presence of bacteria and yeasts. “Moving towards a harmonised European regulation that sets minimum microbiological criteria would be essential to protect the authenticity of kefir and strengthen consumer confidence through a clear list of ingredients,” say Nancy Babio and Jordi Salas, professors and researchers from the Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology of URV, IISPV and CIBEROBN.
Next Saturday, November 22, the Institute will hold the event ‘La recerca en salut surt al carrer’, which includes an escape room, medical tests, CPR workshops, and a demonstration of how an ambulance works.
The Institut d’Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV) will organize the fun event ‘La recerca en salut surt al carrer’ on Saturday morning, November 22, in the center of Tarragona. This initiative is part of the celebrations for the Institute’s 20th anniversary. It was already held in Reus last October and was very well received, with more than 500 people taking part in the activities. Now, IISPV brings the event to Tarragona, specifically to Plaça Corsini and the Mercat Central. Activities will include an escape room about the Institute, non-invasive medical tests, CPR workshops with mannequins, and a demonstration of how an ambulance works. All activities are free, but participants must register in advance on the IISPV website to join the escape room.
The event is organized in collaboration with the Tarragona City Council, Tarragona Markets, and the Servei d’Emergències Mèdiques (SEM) of the Generalitat. Its goal is to help citizens learn more about the work of this biomedical research institute, which has been operating in southern Catalonia for 20 years. The activities planned are:
Escape room ‘Investiga… I ajuda’ns!’
Four groups of five people will help IISPV stop an attack that aims to sabotage the work of its researchers. Each group will face different challenges to protect the four research areas of IISPV: metabolism and nutrition, oncology, mental health and neurosciences, and infection, immunity and environment. The activity lasts about 45 minutes and requires prior registration. It will take place at Tarragona Espai Comerç”, and the meeting point is the entrance to the Central Market on Cristòfor Colom Street. Time slots are: 10:30, 11:30 and 12:30.
Medical tests ‘Aquí et cuidem!’
Throughout the morning, the interior of Tarragona’s Central Market will host several non-invasive medical tests, available to anyone interested:
Workshops ‘Anima’t i reanima!’
All morning long, Plaça Corsini will host the ‘Anima’t i reanima!’ workshops, led by professionals from IISPV and SEM. Using mannequins, participants will learn how to identify a cardiac arrest and how to perform CPR. They will also get to see how an ambulance works, with one on display in the square.
The Solidarity Walk ‘Let’s Take a Step Against Diabetes’ aims to raise awareness among the population about the importance of adopting healthy lifestyle habits and to support biomedical research carried out in the region. All the funds raised will go to the Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Diseases Research Group (DIAMET) at IISPV, which focuses on finding new knowledge and strategies to improve the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diabetes and other metabolic diseases.
“The Perafort Town Council reaffirms its commitment to health, solidarity, and medical research through this initiative—values we consider essential for the well-being of our citizens. The funds are allocated to the IISPV to support research and scientific progress in this field,” said the mayor of Perafort, Joan Martí Pla i Pla. The Perafort Town Council thanks all the individuals and organizations involved and invites everyone to join this solidarity cause. Taking a step against diabetes is taking a step for everyone’s health.
There are different types of diabetes, but the most common are type 1 and type 2. Type 1 diabetes affects about 0.2% of the population in Spain, and around 10% of diagnosed cases are in young people and children. Type 2 diabetes affects between 6% and 14% of the population. This percentage depends on the age group considered, but the older the person, the higher the incidence.
The director of the IISPV, Joan Vendrell, explains that “diabetes is not visible, but it can be controlled with information and a healthy lifestyle. In this sense, events like the walk are very valuable, as they help raise awareness about the disease and its impact, and also promote the work we do. Moreover, they are an opportunity for people to contribute to the development of the various research projects underway at the Institute.”
With a registration fee of €5, participants will receive a commemorative T-shirt, enjoy breakfast and drinks in Els Garidells, and take part in a raffle of products offered by the event’s sponsors after the walk. Registration is open until November 21st, 2025, through the following link: https://serveis.iispv.cat/events/desena-caminada-contra-la-diabetis
The Palau Firal and Congress Centre of Tarragona became a massive party this Saturday with the solidarity event Mamapop.
With more than 900 tickets sold and nearly 85% of the venue filled, all the profits from the concert will go directly to breast cancer research at the Pere Virgili Health Research Institute. Tarragona, 2 November 2025. The iconic songs from the sixties and seventies set the rhythm of solidarity this Saturday at the Palau Firal and Congress Centre of Tarragona.
Over 900 people took part in an emotional evening that once again showed how music can be a powerful tool for solidarity. With almost 85% of the venue full, Mamapop 2025 premiered its tenth show in Tarragona, featuring around thirty professionals on stage performing classics by Los Brincos, Nino Bravo, Marisol, Raphael, Duo Dinámico, Fórmula V and Camilo Sesto, among others.
Once again, all the money raised from Saturday’s concert will be used entirely for breast cancer research at the Pere Virgili Health Research Institute, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Manel Simon, director and founder of Mamapop, thanked “the collective effort of the audience, professionals, supporting organisations and volunteers who helped turn music and entertainment into research, hope and future.”
Mamapop Tarragona was made possible thanks to the support of Fundación Repsol, Factor Energia, Tarragona City Council, the Palau Firal and Congress Centre of Tarragona, Tarragona Provincial Council, the Port of Tarragona and Fundación La Caixa. Several companies and organisations also collaborated, including Rotary Club Tarragona, Tarragona Basketball Club and Nàstic de Tarragona.
This study is a step forward in the search for more accurate diagnostic and prognostic tools for prostate cancer
Researchers from the Institut d’Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV), in collaboration with the Urology Department at the Joan XXIII University Hospital in Tarragona, have made promising progress in improving the diagnosis and monitoring of prostate cancer. The study, led by Matilde Rodríguez Chacón and Xavier Ruiz-Plazas, a specialist from the Urology Department at the same hospital, both members of the Research Group on Disease Biomarkers and Molecular Mechanisms (DIBIOMEC), was recently published in the Journal of Urology, the official journal of the American Urological Association (AUA). The research explored a panel of biomarkers found in semen samples. In the cases studied, the results were promising when combined with traditional clinical variables. Preliminary data suggest that this approach could be useful in several clinical situations, including early detection, identifying patients at higher risk of recurrence after curative treatment, and monitoring patients under active surveillance for this type of cancer.
Prostate cancer is the most common tumor among men in the Tarragona region, with around 670 new cases each year. At the national level, more than 30,000 cases are diagnosed annually, making it one of the leading causes of cancer-related death in men. This advancement, co-authored by Dr. Alves-Santiago and Dr. Altuna-Coy, both members of the DIBIOMEC group, is an important step toward personalized medicine in urology. It offers more precise tools for early detection and individualized clinical decision-making. Although more prospective studies with a larger number of patients are needed, the results so far are very promising.
Link to the scientific publication: Alves-Santiago M, Altuna-Coy A, López-Ribelles P, Arreaza-Gil V, Segarra-Tomás J, Ascaso-Til H, Garcia-Fontgivell JF, Sánchez-Martín S, Bernal-Escoté X, Ruiz-Plazas X, Chacón MR. A Semen Panel Signature Comprising sTWEAK Cytokine Levels and Expression of exomiR-221-3p and exomiR-222-3p for Assessing Prostate Cancer Prognosis, Diagnostic Utility, and Detection of Upgrading During Active Surveillance. J Urol. 2025 Aug 27:101097JU0000000000004749. doi: 10.1097/JU.0000000000004749. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40863180.
